1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to entry of alpha character text on a keypad, such as a standard numeric keypad.
2. Description of the Related Art
Advances in personal information technology have led to a proliferation of small electronic devices having ever-increasing data processing capabilities. One issue with these devices is that their small form factor leaves only limited area for data entry systems; the typical xe2x80x9cqwertyxe2x80x9d keyboard can only be shrunk so far before becoming problematic. In addition, users generally do not want full fledged xe2x80x9cqwertyxe2x80x9d keyboards on devices such as cellular phones, where the use of the keyboard may be limited to entering text on a one-time basis for electronic phone book entries.
Perhaps most common keypad in use in the world is the 12 key, 4 row xc3x973 three column numeric keypad. The keypad consists of the numerals one through zero as well as the asterisk (*) key and the number sign (#) key. The standard configuration is shown in FIG. 1. A number of various data entry schemes using this and other small keyboards have been developed.
In addition to the assignment of numerals to the keypad, keys 2-9 have letters assigned thereto to allow secondary functionality. Using these letter assignments, methods have been developed to allow individuals to enter text data using the limited number of keys on the keypad.
In one commonly used schemes, a user of the numeric keypad will enter text by selecting a particular key and the character interpreted as a result of the selection will depend on the number of times the user presses the key before the interpreter assumes the user is finished. For example, the user will depress the numeral one once to select a xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, twice to select the letter xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d and three times to select the letter xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d. This particular method is illustrated the U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,338. Alternative methods of entry have been developed which map a sequence keys to a particular letter for data entry purposes. This is illustrated in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,184,803. However, in the method disclosed in the ""803 patent, there is no intuitive relationship between the sequence selected and the letter which is entered into data.
Alternatives to using numeric keypads or other keyboard-type input systems have also been developed. Such systems generally comprise small, touch sensitive screens which include an interpretive mechanism to translate a user""s touch input into text. One example is the well-known Graffiti(copyright) text entry systems and touch screens use by Palm, Inc. personal organizer devices. Unfortunately these non-keyed, text entry screens cannot be adapted to small devices such as telephones, or would be used so-infrequently as to make their inclusion in some devices, excessive.
In accordance with the invention, a unique method of interpreting keypad entry has been divided which allows a user to enter character text using a keypad, such as, for example, a numeric keypad, in an intuitive manner.
The present invention, roughly described, pertains to a method for entering text and a method and system for interpreting text entry based on a limited number of input keys selected by a user.
The method of interpreting keys includes interpreting a selection of at least one number on the numeric keypad as at least one of a first subset of letters after a fixed time, wherein said number represents a beginning point of a letter when the numeric keypad is viewed as a grid upon which the letter is written in standard handwritten minuscule form; and if a second number on the keypad is selected within said fixed time, interpreting the selection of said at least second number in combination with said first number as indicating one of a second set of letters, wherein said second number represents an end point of a letter when the numeric keypad is viewed as a projection of the letter on the keypad.
In a further aspect, the method comprises interpreting selections of items on a numeric keypad as alphabet text. The method may include the steps of receiving a selection of at least a first and a second keypad selections on the numeric keypad wherein said selections represents a point on a projection of a letter when the numeric keypad is viewed as a grid upon which the letter is written in standard handwritten minuscule form; and translating the selections into said letter.
The present invention can be accomplished using hardware, software, or a combination of both hardware and software. The software used for the present invention is stored on one or more processor readable storage media including hard disk drives, CD-ROMs, DVDs, optical disks, floppy disks, tape drives, RAM, ROM or other suitable storage devices. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the software can be replaced by dedicated hardware including custom integrated circuits, gate arrays, FPGAs, PLDs, and special purpose computers.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly from the following description in which the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth in conjunction with the drawings.